1. A Growing List
The game at Ball State will make Indiana the 19^th state that the Hornets have played a football game in and the third new state this year for the program following contests in Michigan and Ohio. Ball State will also become the 89^th opponent for Sacramento State (home or away). As expected, the bulk of the teams the Hornets have faced all-time have come from California. However, of those 29 opponents only 10 are currently sponsoring football.
 
2. So Long to Saturdays
This week's game will be the last on a Saturday for Sacramento State for a while. The team will next play Kent State on a Friday night at Hornet Stadium, then have back-to-back games on Wednesday nights against Toledo and Central Michigan. After a bye, the next time the Hornets will play on a Saturday will be the season finale at Hawaii on Nov. 28.
 
3. Starting To Change
The Hornets had the same offensive starting lineup against Bowling Green and Ohio, marking the first time this season Sacramento State used the same 11 in consecutive games. Through the first seven games of the season, the Hornets have started 21 players on offense and 20 on defense. Kicker Grant Meadors is the only player on the team with a current starting streak which dates back to last year. Meadors has started 19 consecutive games while eight others have started every game in 2026.
 
4. All Jokes Aside
Ball State is the alma mater of comedian David Letterman and has his name on the Letterman Communications and Media Building on campus. The campus is named after the Ball brothers who made their fortune through canning products. The brothers donated the land to the state which opened Indiana State Normal School in 1918. The school was renamed Ball Teachers College in 1922 and after a couple of other variations became Ball State University in 1965.
 
5. How To Follow The Action
Saturday's game can be seen on ESPN+ with Joe Tordy on play-by-play and Forrest Conoly serving as the analyst. The game can also heard on ESPN 1320 AM, the Audacy app and the SiriusXM app. Jason Ross (play-by-play), Steve McElroy (analyst) and Danny Sullivan (sideline) will call the action.